The Educational Institute of Scotland
TEMPORARY AREA OFFICER –BASED IN DUNDEE
FIXED TERM CONTRACT TO 30 JUNE2016
Further Particulars
The Organisation
The Educational Institute of Scotland is the largest trade union for teachers and lecturers in Scotland with over 55,000 members in nursery, primary, secondary, special, further and higher education. Approximately 77% of our membership is female. The national HQ is based in Edinburgh and there are Area Offices located in Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Organisational Structure
The organisational structure comprises an annually elected Council of 139 lay members, from which are elected five national committees –Executive, Education, Employment Relations, Equality and Salaries. The principal unit of organisation is the Local Association whose boundaries correspond to those of local authorities in Scotland. There are also two self-governing associations for further education lecturers (Further Education Lecturers Association) and university lecturers (University Lecturers Association). Overall strategy and policy are set by the Annual General Meeting held in early June each year.
Area Officers
All Officers are employees of the EIS at national level and act under the general direction of and are accountable to the General Secretary for the discharge of the duties of their post. First-line management of Officers is undertaken by a designated Assistant Secretary. Area Officers have responsibility for an office which covers a specified group of EIS Local Associations corresponding to local authority areas and for the Further Education Colleges in those areas.
Location
The successful candidate will be based in the Dundee Area Office.
Currently two Institute Area Officers work from Dundee and cover the areas of Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Dundee, Fife, Highland, Moray, Orkney, Perth & Kinross, and Shetland. As a consequence of staff illness the Institute requires temporary support to be provided to members, local associations and Colleges within these areas. Candidates are advised that extensive travel throughout North and North East Scotland is essential to enable them to undertake the duties of the post.
Principal Duties
Listed below are the duties normally associated with post of Area Officer. Given the immediate needs of the Institute the priority areas for the holder of this fixed term post will lie in support for local associations and the representation of members (case-work).
Within the assigned areas of responsibilities, which may be varied from time to time by the General Secretary, the principal duties of the postholder will include:
1.Support for Local Associations
- to advise and assist local associations and FE Branches with the discharge of their functions.
- to contribute to the development and undertake delivery of training to local/branch officials, representatives and members.
- to assist in the conduct of negotiations on members’ salaries and conditions of service with a range of employers.
- to provide advice and representation for members engaged in grievance/disciplinary matters relating to their work.
2.Recruitment of Institute Members
- to contribute to the preparation of membership recruitment materials and programmes.
- to visit workplaces/Teacher Education Institutions to engage in recruitment activity.
3.Liaison
- to liaise with HQ-based officials and officers to provide information about local agreements, conditions and other relevant issues.
- to disseminate and promote awareness of national policy positions and priorities at local level.
- to provide advice and information to school representatives, branch officials and members with reference to salaries, conditions of service, superannuation, health & safety at work and other employment-related matters.
4.Office Management
- to maintain such financial and other administrative records as may be required by the Accountant in connection with the Area Office.
- to supervise and direct administrative staff within the Area Office, subject to the policies and procedures prescribed.
- to ensure that all matters pertaining to the security, health & safety and maintenance of the Area Office premises are attended to and notified, where appropriate, to the Accountant.
5.General
- to attend and contribute to the smooth running of the Annual General Meeting, Council and other EIS meetings/events, as required.
- to undertake such other specific duties as may be allocated by the General Secretary from time to time.
Essential Experience, Knowledge and Skills
1.Knowledge of Scottish education – structures, processes and current key issues.
2.Understand and be committed to the principles of teacher professionalism, collegiality and trade unionism.
3.Experience of advocacy/representation work on behalf of individuals and organisations.
4.Excellent communication skills – writing reports and letters, speaking to individuals and groups (small and large), listening empathetically.
5. Proficiency in ICT skills including use of e-mail, internet and word processing.
6.Knowledge of the main provisions of employment protection legislation and procedures.
7.Ability to plan own work schedule and priorities.
8. Full driving licence.
It is also desirable for candidates to
1.Be educated to degree level or equivalent.
2 Have experience in teaching/lecturing or training.
3. Have experience of staff supervision/management.
4.Be familiar with the main provisions of teachers’/ lecturers’ terms and
conditions of employment.
Principal Terms of Employment
1.The post is offered on a fixed term contract to 30 June 2016 and is based in the Dundee Area Office. The post-holder will report to an Assistant Secretary in the first instance and will be responsible to the General Secretary for the proper and efficient discharge of her/his duties.
2.The salary for the post in February 2016 is £46,539 p.a. Under the current agreement between the relevant union and the Institute the salary value is increased in line with movements in teachers’ salaries.
3.The successful candidate will be automatically enrolled in the Institute’s scheme with NEST (National Employment Savings Trust) The Institute will contribute 3% of the employee’s salary to the scheme.
4.Appointment to the service of the Institute is subject to satisfactory references and criminal record checks.
5.Officers are entitled to 38 working days annual leave in the year beginning 1 September. Leave is taken subject to the requirements of the service and with the prior approval of the General Secretary. In addition, there are 12 Public Holidays which fall on specified dates and are to be taken subject to the requirements of the service.
6.Apart from Institute business undertaken outwith the base, the Officer is expected to be in their designated base during their core office hours which are 9.15am to 12.30pm and 2.00pm to 4.45 pm from Monday to Friday. There is no specific stipulation made with regard to total working hours and Officers are expected to work such hours outwith the core office hours as may be required. There is no provision for overtime payments or time-off in lieu in respect of outwith office hours work.
7.Absence because of sickness is paid by the Institute on the basis of full salary for a period, followed by half salary for a similar period. Initial entitlement is for one month of full salary, followed by one month of half salary in any period of 12 months, rising after 5 years of service to six months of full salary and six months of half salary. Previous service as a teacher or lecturer counts in the calculation of an Officer’s entitlement to sickness allowance.
8.A car will be provided by the Institute for business purposes. A charge will be made in respect of private mileage undertaken, including home-base travel.
Closing Date
The closing date for receipt of applications is 12.00pm on Friday 5 February 2016.
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